The present invention relates to ambulatory aids for disabled, post-operative or injured people who need additional support and stability in moving about or standing, more particular, to an universal attachment which can be detatchably secured on walking assistive devices. A major objective of the presentive invention is to provide support for weigh-bearing on limbs, aiding disabled, post-operative or injured people to be ambulant as in normal walking.
The present invention is in the area of apparatus for aiding injured or otherwise disabled persons to walk, and pertains in particular to knee/thigh pad apparatus for assembly to walkers, canes, and the like.
Each year, tens of thousands of people suffer from ankle, foot, or knee injuries which result in restricted weight-bearing. Additionally, many who have had ankle, foot, or knee surgery have restricted post-operative weight-bearing capabilities. Numerous walking aids exist to assist ambulation in those with weight-bearing restrictions or amputations of lower limbs. These walking aids typically require the user to support him- or herself by gripping handles (for example, quad canes, hemiwalkers, canes, walkers) or using upper-body strength (crutches) for support. Many people have insufficient upper body and arm strength to effectively manipulate these implements.
Knee/thigh support devices which attach to multi-legged walkers have been developed to provide a resting place for the injured leg. However, the existing devices are limited to walkers in their application, and none has been developed to adapt to other walking aids such as quad canes, canes, and crutches.
For example, Skorman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,909, discloses a vertically adjustable leg support device that mounts to an invalid walker with a number of legs. However, the Skorman device is incapable of attachment to a single-legged walking aid. Neither is it capable of being adjusted to provide thigh support.
Likewise, Motts, U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,798 discloses a leg support device that may be mounted either right or left on an invalid walker with a number of legs, yet the Motts device is also incapable of attachment to a single-legged walking aid or provide thigh support.
What is clearly needed is a versatile apparatus with a cushioned platform that is applied to walking assistive devices such as walkers, quad canes, canes, and crutches mentioned above.